entropyembrace wrote:My understanding is that it´s not even as bad as 3 mile island yet...and that´s an unlikely worst case scenario...because they´re managing to keep the fuel rods covered with sea water they won´t melt and the primary containment is safe.

It seems the worst thing are the hydrogen explosions from the super heated water....which aren´t releasing dangerous levels of radation but are damaging the buildings and injuring workers...they are really putting their lives on the line to keep the situation under control.

You've corrected me in the past before...And for once I really hope you're right.

entropyembrace wrote:My understanding is that it´s not even as bad as 3 mile island yet...and that´s an unlikely worst case scenario...because they´re managing to keep the fuel rods covered with sea water they won´t melt and the primary containment is safe.

It seems the worst thing are the hydrogen explosions from the super heated water....which aren´t releasing dangerous levels of radation but are damaging the buildings and injuring workers...they are really putting their lives on the line to keep the situation under control.

things are changing quickly, and unpredictably. such is the nature of a crisis like this - this evening from the bbc:"Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said.Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors.Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast - the third reactor to explode in four days - leading to fears of a meltdown."

As far, as i know, difference between TMI and what's happening now in Japan, cooling on TMI was restored quite fast, but Japan still has problems with cooling. Of course i hope, it won't get worse. But it's kind of sad, how many risks people are ready to take only to get more income That nuclear power plant was working past it's limits already, not to mention how it was build.

Watching news carefully, trying not to think too much, anyway can't do a thing and i don't have physicist degree

Most news stations have been saying "meltdown" ever since we first heard there was a problem at the Fukushima Daiichi plant because it makes things more scary

I still haven´t seen any nuclear scientists or agencies saying that a meltdown is likely.

But each of these hydrogen explosions is making things more dangerous for the workers that are pumping water to cool the reactor cores

rdl wrote:things are changing quickly, and unpredictably. such is the nature of a crisis like this - this evening from the bbc:"Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said.Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors.Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast - the third reactor to explode in four days - leading to fears of a meltdown."

At the 40-year-old Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, where an explosion Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, the spent fuel pool, in accordance with General Electric’s design, is placed above the reactor. Tokyo Electric said it was trying to figure out how to maintain water levels in the pools, indicating that the normal safety systems there had failed, too. Failure to keep adequate water levels in a pool would lead to a catastrophic fire, said nuclear experts, some of whom think that unit 1’s pool may now be outside.

“That would be like Chernobyl on steroids,” said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates and a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which is identical to the Fukushima Daiichi unit 1.

At the 40-year-old Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, where an explosion Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, the spent fuel pool, in accordance with General Electric’s design, is placed above the reactor. Tokyo Electric said it was trying to figure out how to maintain water levels in the pools, indicating that the normal safety systems there had failed, too. Failure to keep adequate water levels in a pool would lead to a catastrophic fire, said nuclear experts, some of whom think that unit 1’s pool may now be outside.

“That would be like Chernobyl on steroids,” said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates and a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which is identical to the Fukushima Daiichi unit 1.

entropyembrace wrote:Most news stations have been saying "meltdown" ever since we first heard there was a problem at the Fukushima Daiichi plant because it makes things more scary

I still haven´t seen any nuclear scientists or agencies saying that a meltdown is likely.

But each of these hydrogen explosions is making things more dangerous for the workers that are pumping water to cool the reactor cores

rdl wrote:things are changing quickly, and unpredictably. such is the nature of a crisis like this - this evening from the bbc:"Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said.Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors.Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast - the third reactor to explode in four days - leading to fears of a meltdown."

entro,i agree with you about the sensationalism - this info is from TEPCO

TEPCO: Nuclear fuel may be meltingThe Tokyo Electric Power Company says there is a possibility of fuel rods melting in the Number Two reactor at its Fukushima Number One plant.A company official said at a news conference on Tuesday that the level of cooling water is now too low to measure.He indicated that the fuel rods may have overheated and begun melting.Tuesday, March 15, 2011 04:27 +0900 (JST)- i just think things remain uncertain and will for some time, so regardless of the speculation, the work, prayers, wishes, efforts to deal with this are all needed still.

UPDATE AS OF 10:20 A.M. EDT, TUESDAY, MARCH 15:The level of radioactivity at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been decreasing, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

At 8 p.m. EDT March 15, a dose rate of 1,190 millirem per hour was observed. Six hours later, the dose rate was 60 millirem per hour, IAEA said.

About 150 residents near the Fukushima Daiichi site have been checked for radiation and 23 have been decontaminated.

Japanese authorities have distributed potassium iodide tablets to evacuation center (see this page for more information on potassium iodide). If taken within several hours of ingesting radioactive iodine, potassium iodide can protect the thyroid gland.

UPDATE AS OF 9:15 A.M. EDT, TUESDAY, MARCH 15:Fukushima DaiichiUnits 1 and 3 at Fukushima Daiichi are stable and cooling is being maintained through seawater injection. Primary containment integrity has been maintained on both reactors.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) reported an explosion in the suppression pool at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2, at 7:14 p.m. EDT on March 14. Reactor water level was reported to be at 2.7 meters below the top of the fuel. The pressure in the suppression pool decreased from 3 atmospheres to 1 atmosphere. Radiation readings at the site increased to 96 millirem per hour.

Dose rates at Fukushima Daiichi as reported at 10:22 p.m. EDT on March 14 were:

We are working on getting updated information on radiation and dose rates at and near the plant.

Station personnel not directly supporting reactor recovery efforts have been evacuated, leaving approximately 50 staff members at the site. Operators are no longer in the main control room due to high radiation levels.

Safety relief valves were able to be re-opened and seawater injection into the reactor core was restarted around 1 a.m. EDT on March 15 and is continuing.

At Unit 4 on March 14 at approximately 8:38 p.m. EDT, a fire was reported in the reactor building. It is believed to have been from a lube oil leak in a system that drives recirculation water pumps. Fire fighting efforts extinguished the fire. The roof of the reactor building was damaged.

Fukushima DainiAll four reactors at Fukushima Daini are being maintained with normal cooling using residual heat removal systems.

Not to minimise the unspeakable horror of this collosal disaster as I have shed many tears seeing the videos and photos, does anyone have any idea how much Japan's tea industry is or will be affected? If the radiation is as bad as I've read and if the winds change, it has the potential to wipe out Japanese tea production.

Ti wrote:Not to minimise the unspeakable horror of this collosal disaster as I have shed many tears seeing the videos and photos, does anyone have any idea how much Japan's tea industry is or will be affected? If the radiation is as bad as I've read and if the winds change, it has the potential to wipe out Japanese tea production.

Japan´s tea industry is more likely to be affected by unfounded fear than anything else. :S

Radiation levels are only dangerous immediately surrounding the damaged reactors. Additional radiation in Tokyo is insignificant. Most of Japan´s tea producing areas are much further from the damaged reactor than Tokyo and are very safe from radiation.

I for one will happily continue to buy and consume Japanese tea without the slightest concern about radiation exposure.